Shloka 7

शान्ति पर्व (अध्याय 38): युधिष्ठिरस्य राजधर्म-जिज्ञासा तथा भीष्मोपसर्पण-प्रस्तावना | Shanti Parva Chapter 38: Yudhishthira’s Inquiry into Rajadharma and the Prelude to Approaching Bhishma

Devanagari script

प्रशंसावचनैस्तासां मिथ:शब्दैश्व॒ भारत । प्रीतिजैश्न तदा शब्दै: पुरमासीत्‌ समाकुलम्‌

Transliteration

praśaṃsāvacanais tāsāṃ mithaḥśabdaiś ca bhārata | prītijair na tadā śabdaiḥ puram āsīt samākulam ||

Translation

ਵੈਸ਼ੰਪਾਯਨ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਹੇ ਭਾਰਤ! ਉਸ ਵੇਲੇ ਇਸਤ੍ਰੀਆਂ ਆਪਸ ਵਿੱਚ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਤੋਂ ਉਪਜੇ ਪ੍ਰਸ਼ੰਸਾ-ਵਚਨ ਬਦਲਦੀਆਂ ਸਨ; ਉਹਨਾਂ ਦੀਆਂ ਖੁਸ਼ੀ ਭਰੀਆਂ ਆਵਾਜ਼ਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਸਾਰਾ ਸ਼ਹਿਰ ਰੌਣਕ ਅਤੇ ਕੋਲਾਹਲ ਨਾਲ ਭਰ ਗਿਆ ਸੀ।

Word by Word

• {'praśaṃsā-vacana': 'words/speeches of praise, commendation', 'tāsām': 'of those (women)', 'mithaḥ': 'mutually, among one another', 'śabda': 'sound, voice, utterance

• report', 'ca': 'and', 'bhārata': 'O descendant of Bharata (address to the listener, Janamejaya)', 'prīti-ja': 'born of affection/joy', 'tadā': 'then, at that time', 'puram': 'the city, town', 'āsīt': 'was', 'samākulam': 'crowded, thronged

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhārata (Janamejaya as addressee)
• the women of the city
• the city (pura)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how collective speech shaped by affection and appreciation can transform a public space: praise exchanged in goodwill creates a harmonious, uplifting social atmosphere.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a scene where the women of the city are mutually exchanging joyful words of praise, and their affectionate voices fill the entire town with lively commotion.